#ras speculates

[mysteryshoptls]

is it ever brought up/mentioned how the students get back to NRC after using the dark mirror to travel? really appreciate all your translation work btw🫶

Hello, thanks for stopping by! It's been mentioned here and there, although there's still a lot of speculation that goes into it. In the Prologue, we learn that students who are "selected are summoned to the campus through ... "gates," which can appear anywhere." In Book 4, Ace and Deuce rush back to campus manually, since the "mirror gate wasn't open," which shows that should they need to, they can take public transportation. He did also specifically say they couldn't "warp back with magic," because the mirror gate was closed. In Book 7, there was a chapter where the freshmen are having a discussion about Mickey and the mirror in Ramshackle that seems to be connected to him. Ortho mentions that "People often use mirrors, crystals, and basins for magic-based transportation and communication," and gives a hypothesis that the mirror in Ramshackle fulfills a set of conditions that allows it to link to Mickey's mirror. In Halloween I, Ace mentions that the school mirrors "let us go home and back instantly," but we don't get much more than that. In Halloween II, Leona lists off a few different magical artifacts that use mirrors, and how those mirrors "connects two places together." But it's not said if specifically two mirrors are needed to connect two places together. Also in Halloween II, the Dark Mirror was connected to the spectral realm, which allowed both the ghost-napped students and the Hallowenders to travel through the Mirror into various locations without mention of an exit mirror. At the very end, the disco ball in the dance hall served as the connection back to the Dark Mirror, which brought all the students back to campus. Using all these as a basis for my own hypothesis, I can speculate two possible options:

Possibility 1: A mirror must be connected to a "mirror/gate" in order to work. For example, the students thinks of where they want to go, and the Dark Mirror plops them out of a designated "mirror/gate" in their desired location. This would require there to be many, many mirrors/gates all over the world.

Possibility 2: For NRC specifically, as they travel by Dark Mirror, and it is a highly renowned magical artifact, it has the capability of hearing when someone calls out to it to transport back to NRC (Think Marvel Heimdall).

There may be other possibilities, these were just the two that came to my mind first.

[bonnibelleangelica]

Shows/Movies I’m Watching to Get Inspo for My Book!

-Adventure Time for the post-apocalyptic world

-Handmaid’s Tale for the dystopian, reproductively authoritarian government

-Avatar (movie) for the pretty, glowy forest and animalistic humanoids

-Avatar the Last Airbender for the seamless world-building and storytelling

-She-ra for the gay, the magical world and the character design variety

-Steven Universe for the conspiracies and the heartfelt moments

-Croods for the cool animal designs and ideas

-Hilda for the mysterious wilderness vibes

-Where The Crawdads Sing for the foresty, nature-loving romance

-Arcane for the attention to detail, deep metaphors and character-building

-Last of Us for a fresh take on how humans would handle an apocalypse

I’m also reading Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green to get good at explaining scientific concepts to the average person in a way thats entertaining and digestible.

Check out my book here @statusquoofficial

[tigerlily340]

Spacebat Geneology Study (sneak peek)

I embarked on a small adventure a few weeks ago to try an explore what species Prime could've picked through to make the current Spacebat model.

Here is the first of many, inspired by the Easter Red Bat aka powdered donut lookin ass babey

And no, this fandom will never leave me~ 😌

[crow-aeris]

So i’ve been thinking (shocking, really) about the world building for my reverse robins wingfic.

ike, sure, it’s a little fic and ppl prolly won’t notice, but i just cant help but speculate.

in this au, everyone is born with wings unless afflicted with a certain illness, disease, or genetic defect that leaves you with no avian traits (which is the excuse the kents use).

but how would having wings influence the infrastructure? well, i’m glad you asked! cities are more compact because there isn’t really as big a need for transportation unless you’re an aves that’s just not built for long-distance travels like various passeriformes birds.

planes still exist, but they’re utilized by the avians who aren’t able to fly long distances. avians who have wings like albatrosses or terns or other soaring birds would probably require licenses to do their annual migrations and travels- same applies to regualr migritory species like ducks and geese- where the instinct remains despite not needing to migrate.

of course, with the constant migration through countries, i think there would be more mixing of races and ethnicities especially within the migratory bird communities, so there would probably be less overall hostilities.

now, there will still be discriminatory and hateful ideals, and some are shown in my fics. For example, Gotham’s elites are mostly made up of raptors and birds of prey like eagles, kites, kestrels, hawks, falcons, ospreys, owls, etc- birds who actively hunt down mammalian or lizards for prey (in the real world i mean), that is because of displays of powers. Scavengers like condors, vultures, buzzards, are regarded lower on the social ladder but not as low as perching birds and song birds simply because of their ability to have sustained flight.

like i mentioned briefly, songbirds and perching birds (passerines) are regarded lowly in general due to their “weak demeanor” and overall flashiness, which gives them the reputation of being only suitable to work in brothels and such regardless of gender (but especially dudes where the aves species exhibits sexual dimorphism, eg. cardinals, peacocks, golden pheasants, etc.)

there are definitely some exceptions, being corvids. some cultures have corvids as villans, whereas others may portray corvids as intelligent and charming.

now, we arrive to genetics. im still not 100% sure how i want the phenotype of an avian to be passed down. so far, it’s mainly just sons are the same aves as their fathers (like thomas wayne, bruce, and damian are all harpy eagles, but martha wayne was a kingfisher and talia is an imperial eagle), but im not sure abt daughters. genetics is messy, but i think i’ve managed to sertle on a 50/50 chance of being born either the same aves as their mother, or their paternal grandmother. like if damian had been born with xx instead of xy chromosomes, then he’d either have been an imperial eagle like talia, or a kingfisher like martha wayne. intersex people exist too, and i think their wings would be a blend between both their mother and father’s.

now for the the supers and the other metas:

as mentioned previously, the kents claim that their adopted son had a genetic disorder that basically prevented him from growing wings (or just left him in a state similar to humans before they were all “cursed” by a diety to have wings, or whatever. in the dcu, that probably woulnd’t even be too far fetched), so clark lacked a major social component to his childhood. without wings and a tail, others would have a harder time reading his emotions, seeing as these appendages are crucial in nonverbal communication between avians, and that gives clark a leg up in reading other people, but having them not understanding what he’s thinking.

now with jon and kon, they have two VERY different situations. for jon, since his paternal side is wings-free, i just gave him lois’s ave- western kingbird- instead of making him no-winged. kon, on the other hand was a test-tube baby, so it was a toss-up on whether he’d get lex luthor’s purple martin wings, or clark’s no-wings since they’re both guys. I think kon would’ve enjoyed wings, so i gave him the purple martin wings. Plus, they’re pretty much invulnerable, and their wings are no different.

diana and the other ppl from themyscira wouldn’t have wings since they aren’t human, and same applies to the other jl members who aren’t humans.

on a wholly separate note: the lazarus pits. here, not only does it give you white streaks in your hair, it’ll bleach out your feathers. so liek if a peacock was thrown into the pit, not only would they die and come back manic, their feathers would make them look like piebald, or have different markings or white ticking.

anyways, that’s the end of my long post, and i hope yall enjoyed listening to me speculate and talk about birds and my silly little guys!!

[legokingfisher]

What if Ras getting genuinely attached to Arin but he becomes miss sunk cost fallacy so he starts finding increasingly shitty ways to keep Arin with him (withholding parent info, convincing Arin he can’t survive out on his own, etc) because not only does he genuinely believe in this kid but he knows too much and also Ras does not want to be alone so he has to resort to keeping the little guy around as a buddy and student and feeling really pathetic about the whole thing

[the-deca]

i think it'd be really cool if the one who waits is the trickster. it'd tie in well i think with it being 10 that helped defeat him in his most recent tv appearance, and then 14 being who first hears about the one who waits. and if the trickster's been at the bottom of the atlantic ocean for a thousands of year according to farewell sarah jane then he's been waiting...

[arsonway]

✦ valigarmanda? is that you?

[bettyminicoop]

I don't watch this season at all. But I see spoilers and speculation about the final, and I also want to speculate a bit with you.

Everyone is discussing whether only Jughead will get his memories back or if all the characters will be able to get it. (I'm not going to rant here about whether "these" characters need the memories of people they are not. This can be saved for when one fall I remember how angry I was in the season 5 finale.) And if everyone gets memories, then who will return to the present, and who will remain in the 50s?

My guess is that everyone but Betty will return to the present, whatever it is. Gays - because they have no chance of being in an open relationship in the 50s and for a very, very long time. Women - because now they have more opportunities and rights than in the 50s. Although this is controversial. (Riverdale doesn't like to bring up such difficult topics anyway.) Jughead - because he will have more room for his writing and his ideas now. You know, the internet and all that. And he has a family somewhere in the present. And Saint Tabitha of course! I really don't know why Veronica would be interested in the present, other than that she can do business on an equal footing with men. Has this topic come up at least once this season? Archie. He seems to be comfortable in any decade. His father died everywhere, and everywhere he does not know what he wants to do. He may come back to the present just for company.

And only Betty has a real reason to stay in the 50s. Her father is not a serial killer. Her mom is Alice as always, but they've figured it out again and love each other (I roll my eyes, see?). Polly is alive and doing great. Her new half-sister Ethel is not a serial killer and travels happily. And only here Betty has interests besides investigations and crimes - she can write books about masturbating or she can dance striptease and sing in burlesque.

Anyway, in the finale we have 86 year old Betty in 2024. And an old friend helps her remember her high school graduation. What if he actually takes her to a real prom in the present where all the other characters are "literally just back" from the 50s? She will live a quiet life. But she will miss her friends, whom she has not seen since prom, or who have not even been to prom, because they went back to the future in advance.

However, we have spoilers that claim that there are scenes from the 70s, in which all the main and almost main characters are involved. I don't know what to do with this information.

And I can't believe I wrote all this even though I haven't watched a single episode of this cursed season.

[magizra]

AAAUGHHHHH OFMD SEASON 2 OFFICIAL TRAILER, HOW'RE WE FEELING‼‼‼

Here are some of things I noticed:

Izzy's got a wooden leg (Cause of infection from his toe? Ed followed through, and fed him the rest??)

STEDE EARRING

Something involving vampires (fuckery?) cause of this shot where they're wearing garlands of garlic

And lastly, the scene of Ed falling in the ocean tied to a weight probably happens after the clip of him standing on a cliff with that dude in white, since there's a rock tied to rope on the ground between them

[prlssprfctn]

Every time another joke about Batman/Bruce Wayne passes by me, I can't help but imagine that the whole rumour about these two dating was originally (and probably accidentally) created by Bruce himself.

Just imagine, a teen Bruce, still only starting with his vigilante career, makes a crucial mistake - he pays with his own credit card in front of people, while being Batman. A stupid, absolutely instinctive mistake, but in his defence he wasn't sleeping normally for a week, and had an open wound in his stomach that day, so. Whoops.

And then someone asks Bruce Wayne about it, in front of a thousand cameras. And he blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind.

Reporter: So, mister Wayne, recently citizens had reported that they saw Batman paying for the damage in the city... with your credit card. Care to explain details behind this?

Bruce, smiling stupidly: Oh, he is my ex. I sometimes sponsor him.

The crowd: (goes wild)

Alfred, starting at the interview back in the Batcave: ...We are never going to get rid of this, are we?

And guess what? They don't!

Bruce thinks that with time passing, with his love interests switching and new rumours spawning in the world, they might forget about it. He was young, he was stupid - he fucked up, alright?

But decades pass. He has a whole football team of kids. Everyone still ship Bruce and Batman.

And when this stupid video accidentally gets resurfaced on the internet again, his family goes insane. They start creating even more stupid rumours on galas.

Reporter: Mister Wayne... For years now, the crowds are speculating... Who is exactly your mother, and where is she now?

Damian, sighing pitifully: My father and my mother don't enjoy contacting each other, sadly. My mom says that their relationship was just a rebound; father desperately tries to forget Batman... Still, to this day.

Bruce, gripping the glass of champagne: ...

Talia, watching this interview with Ra's: Now, that's my son right there.

Dick: Oh, why I was screaming at Batman in the middle of the street a few days ago? Oh, this bastard- I mean, this respectable vigilante, he dared to get in the argument with Bruce. He can't really leave him alone, really! They are so insane about each other... So toxic, but so, uh, captivating... But you know, Bruce! He has such a fragile heart...

Gotham: Aw-w, poor mister Wayne!

Bruce, sighing: Jesus Christ.

Tim, shaking his head to the camera: I hate Red Robin, really. Did you know that his existence is just a direct offence to my father? Yeah, actually, Batman took this kid under his wing with another man - I am not going to tell who - to make dad jealous. This is disgusting!

Jason, who returned from the death by pretending that all this time he was under the child protection system after becoming an accidental witness of the second Robin's death: Oh, yeah, it was tough... Poor kid exploded in front of my eyes! Reporter: But, mister Todd-Wayne, what were you doing in that warehouse?

Jason, wiping fake tears: They were like my divorced parents, you know... Batman and Bruce. Batman really tried to mend things with dad back then, and wanted me to like him... We just wanted to spend some time together with him, and that Robin kid... God, it was terrible... Batman refuses to contact me now. I miss my second dad...

Bruce, back in the Batcave, watching as Batman's reputation goes lower and lower: ........................... Alfred: Well, master Bruce... Bruce: Not a word. Al. Please.

[vampires-official]

I'm glad you enjoy this post! :D I think it's a fun avenue to go down! I'd have to do more research to find concrete lore support, but from what I recall I think there's some older lore support too. Recalling Dracula, after he feeds from Jonathan and Lucy, he's described as being visibly younger and iirc more filled out. I think a lot of the idea of blood consumption comes from the idea of like, life consumption, so having the blood do more than sit in their stomach and acting as more of s replacement to keep them young and immortal tracks.

I think in a lot of lore, they were of course not thinking of the scientific side of things, which make sense! But because I'm a Huge Nerd(TM), with my own vampire lore I took inspiration from the small intestine absorbing nutrients into the blood stream, and decided to tweak it. Instead of sitting in the stomach, fresh blood gets leeched into their own bloodstream to revitalize them. It's a bit about replacing the blood with each feeding, so the blood in their bodies is originally from the victim they fed on. Since they're undead and can't make more, it not only decomposes over time to some degree, but they also need more blood replacement than a human would since it's also their sole source of nutrition and energy. If they haven't eaten in a while, their bodies will consume whatever blood is left in their system until they starve. With how the turning process works, their body can only process a liquid diet, and really only gets nutrients from blood. They can kinda eat tiny bites of solid food, and while they can drink anything, too many of let's say, glasses of wine, is going to make them feel horrible.

I'm still fleshing that all out, so it might change and it's less based in reality, but I've had a fun time thinking about it/designing it so far. I hope that's what you mean by my thoughts on it!

Does anyone want to hear about the math I did to try and figure out how much blood a vampire would need to drink (if we're basing it off them having a similar caloric intake as we do?)

[charlietheepicwriter7]

G̴̩͍͆͆̈́e̵̹̣͆t̷̬̋ ̸̻̮̎̒ĭ̸̏̃n̵͙̋͐ ̸̛̳̃t̶̪̣̅ḣ̸̳̇͜è̵̠̲͖̔̑ ̶̢̹̖͗͐̀Wa̵̬̞͝ṫ̴̩̣̣e̶͉̲̯͂̏̎r̴̉

It was a simple mission. Damian was working with Father to confirm the existence of a Lazarus Pit below Gotham, as Ra's Al Ghul speculated. And they had found it, deep in the caves below Gotham. A Pit the size of an Olympic sized swimming pool, bubbling and steaming. He'd only looked away for a moment.

"Kin-slayer."

Standing waist deep in the water stood Damian's reflection. The hair might be white, and the eyes glowing with the waters, but it was his face. But not his face alone.

Danyal's ghost glared at him. "Get in the water."

Father threw a batarang at him, but the metal flew straight through his head like it was air. Danyal didn't even glance at him, his eyes fixed on Damian. "Get in the water," he ordered again. He stepped closer to the shore and the green water sloshed up the bank higher than it was before. "Or I'll raise the tide so high, all of Gotham will die. So get in the water."

Damian's heart jumped into throat. "Wait-"

"Get in the water."

Father shoved Damian behind him, as if it would protect him, as if he could stop Danyal. "Stop this, please-" If he could just explain-

Another step and the waters surged forward, nearly touching Father's boots. "I'll make whirlpools so profound, your entire family will drown," he promised.

"NO!" Not his brother, his kind brother-

"THEN GET IN THE WATER!" Danyal snarled, revealing monstrously sharp teeth and a black tongue from Damian's poison. "G̴̩͍͆͆̈́e̵̹̣͆t̷̬̋ ̸̻̮̎̒ĭ̸̟̰͙̏̃n̵͙̝̟̋͐ ̸̛̳̃t̶̪̣̅ḣ̸̳̇͜è̵̠̲͖̔̑ ̶̢̹̖͗͐̀w̵̜͍̤̌a̵̬̞͝ṫ̴̩̣̣e̶͉̲̯͂̏̎r̴̉͜!̷̡͔́̀̽" He lunged and Father pushed them back down the passage they'd come. "Don't mistake this for a bluff, brother. You've lived more than enough. Just get in the water." Damian swallowed, throat dry. Was this Danyal's revenge? Did he finally have to face what he had done?

"Robin, who is this?" Father snapped, trying to keep retreating down the cave. But Damian wouldn't let him; the waters, and Danyal with them, would only follow.

Danyal looked between them, scowling. "G̴̩͍͆͆̈́e̵̹̣͆t̷̬̋ ̸̻̮̎̒ĭ̸̟̰͙̏̃n̵͙̝̟̋͐ ̸̛̳̃t̶̪̣̅ḣ̸̳̇͜è̵̠̲͖̔̑ ̶̢̹̖͗͐̀w̵̜͍̤̌a̵̬̞͝ṫ̴̩̣̣e̶͉̲̯͂̏̎r̴̉͜!̷̡͔́̀̽" he snapped again. "I'll take your father and gouge out his eyes, unless you want to stop being a coward and choose to die. Now... get in the water."

[rafecameronssl4t]

Ferrari's Golden Boy and his Girl || F1 driver!Rafe Cameron x fem!reader

Summary: ur first appearance in the paddock with Rafe :)

Warnings: noneee

Word count: 1,936

A/n: if you couldn't tell by my pfp of Alexandra, i love her and she's who i imagine when i write these f1 fics but of course its up to you!!!!

MASTERLIST (f1 driver x fem!reader au masterlist)

divider by @h-aewo

The world of Formula 1 was glamorous but intimidating, and you felt the weight of a thousand eyes on you. Speculations about your relationship with Rafe, Ferrari's Golden Boy, had been swirling for months, growing louder with every blurred paparazzi photo and cryptic comment he let slip in interviews.

Coming from Rafe’s hometown in the Outer Banks, you weren’t accustomed to attention from the public eye and a sea of flashing camera. Paparazzi had caught glimpses of you together over the past few months—dinners at intimate restaurants, quiet walks along the beach, stolen kisses on his yacht—but this was different.

This was your official debut as his girlfriend, stepping into the spotlight for the first time. Your heart raced, not from the adrenaline of the sport but from the nerve-wracking reality of being here, surrounded by people who lived and breathed Formula 1. You’d spent countless nights scrolling through social media, seeing how some fans could be—relentless in their opinions, cutting down a driver’s girlfriend simply because they didn’t like her.

It was tough sometimes, imagining yourself on the receiving end of that scrutiny. Would they think you were good enough for Rafe? Would they nitpick your every move, your every word, just to find flaws? The thought had kept you awake the night before, despite Rafe’s reassurances.

Rafe, walking beside you, was as confident as ever, exuding the easy charisma that had made him both a star on the track and off. His hand rested at the small of your back, guiding you through the chaos, even outside the paddock gates, with practised ease. Your hands were slightly shaky as you scanned your paddock pass, “You good?” he asked, leaning down so only you could hear.

His voice was low and steady, a stark contrast to the chaotic energy around you. You glanced up at him. “I think so,” you said softly, your voice barely audible over the noise. “Don’t think,” he said, his tone teasing but affectionate. “Just walk in there like you own the place. Because, baby, you kind of do.” He adds, kissing the side of your head.

You couldn’t help but laugh, though the nerves didn’t completely fade. Rafe had an unmatched ability to make you feel like you belonged, even when you doubted yourself. You smooth out your red dress—one he had personally insisted you wear. "You'll match the car," he'd teased, a boyish grin spreading across his face. "And I'll look like the luckiest guy in the paddock."

As you walked past the throngs of fans lined against the barriers, the buzz grew louder. Their cheers grew louder, a cacophony of voices calling out Rafe’s name—and, to your surprise, your own. Phones were raised, the flashes of cameras capturing every moment. Your heart raced, a mix of nerves and exhilaration coursing through you.

"See, they like you already," Austin, Rafe's personal trainer teased gently. His tone was lighthearted, a deliberate attempt to ease your obvious unease. He nudged your arm, grinning as you chuckled softly, trying to shake off the nerves that clung to you. Rafe, ever composed and effortlessly charming, raised his hand in a casual wave to the crowd.

You followed his lead, offering a small, tentative wave and a smile that you hoped looked more confident than you felt. Rafe checked his watch before glancing at the crowd again. “We’ve got time, don’t we?” he asked Austin, though it was more rhetorical than a genuine inquiry. Without waiting for a response, he veered toward a particularly animated group of fans near the front of the barrier.

You stayed back with Austin, watching as Rafe transitioned seamlessly into fan mode. He moved with ease, signing caps, shirts, and posters, pausing for selfies, and exchanging quick banter with his supporters. Your gaze softened as you observed him, pride swelling in your chest. He looked so at home in this chaotic environment, his bright smile and relaxed demeanor making him seem untouchable yet entirely approachable.

Then, as if he could feel your eyes on him, Rafe turned his head to look at you. A mischievous smile danced on his lips as he said something, his words lost in the roar of the crowd. “What’s he saying?” you asked Austin, tilting your head in confusion. Rafe then blew you a kiss with an exaggerated flair, his grin widening when he saw the shy smile it drew from you.

“Rafe, is that your girlfriend over there?” a girl asked as he scribbled his autograph on his photo. Her tone was curious but warm, not laced with the venom you’d feared. Rafe glanced back at you, his smile softening into something almost tender. “Yeah,” he said proudly, not missing a beat. “That’s her. She’s gorgeous, isn’t she?” The fans erupted into cheers, their excitement palpable as they turned their attention to you.

You froze for a moment, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks, but Rafe’s unwavering confidence in you gave you the courage to offer another small wave. “I hope you guys love her as much as I do,” Rafe added, his tone light but sincere. After a few more photos and quick goodbyes, Rafe made his way back to you, his stride confident and purposeful. As soon as he reached you, his arm slipped naturally around your shoulders, pulling you into his side.

“What were you saying back there?” you asked, looking up at him with curiosity. Rafe didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to your cheek, his lips lingering just enough to make your heart flutter. “Just telling them how gorgeous you are,” he replied casually, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. You felt the blush creeping up your neck, your cheeks warm as you let out a soft, embarrassed giggle.

Rafe chuckled, clearly pleased with your reaction, and squeezed your shoulder. The paddock was a whirlwind of activity. Team members darted around, engineers shouted commands, and reporters lingered, waiting for their chance to snag an interview. Rafe navigated it effortlessly, introducing you to key people as you clung to his side, trying to take it all in.

As he prepared to leave for his pre-race routine, he turned to you, the confident façade slipping just enough for you to catch a glimpse of his vulnerability. “You’re gonna be okay?” he asked quietly, his fingers lingering at your side. You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Yeah. I’ll be fine, I'll hang out with Sofia," You say, glancing back at Sofia who was Rafe's teammate's girlfriend.

He leaned in, pressing a kiss to your forehead that lingered just long enough to make your cheeks flush. “Good. Because you belong here with me, whether you believe it yet or not.” As he walked away, you felt the cameras capturing the moment, and for the first time, you didn’t feel out of place. You felt proud. Proud to be by his side, no matter how intimidating the spotlight might be.

~

"Rafe Cameron wins the Spanish Grand Prix, and it is a 1-2 finish for the Scuderia Ferrari!" The commentator's jubilant voice rang through your headphones, the words igniting an explosion of joy in the Ferrari garage. The moment the announcement registered, you and Sofia turned to each other, your faces lighting up with pure elation.

Without thinking, you both started squealing, your voices blending into the symphony of celebration around you. You grabbed her hands, jumping up and down like giddy schoolgirls, the weight of nerves and anticipation finally melting away. “They did it!” Sofia shouted, her wide grin matching yours as you both clung to each other, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the victory.

The rest of the Ferrari garage erupted into cheers, a sea of red erupting with applause, hugs, and celebratory fist pumps. Engineers and crew members were already spilling out onto the pitlane, sprinting toward the podium to catch a glimpse of their drivers and bask in the glory of the victory. You could barely hear yourself think over the noise, but it didn’t matter.

The joy was infectious, and you found yourself swept up in the chaos, laughing and cheering along with everyone else. Sofia nudged you with her elbow, her face flushed with excitement. “We’ve gotta get to the podium!” You didn’t need to be told twice. Linking arms with her, you followed the stream of Ferrari personnel down the pitlane. Your heart pounded in your chest—not from nerves this time, but from pride and exhilaration.

As you reached the podium area, the roar of the crowd hit you like a wave. Thousands of fans filled the grandstands, waving Ferrari flags and chanting Rafe’s name. The energy was electric, the entire circuit seemingly united in celebration. The team’s staff ushered you and Sofia forward, guiding you both to the front row, just behind the barriers, giving you the perfect view. And then you saw him, climbing out of his car with a triumphant smile that lit up his entire face.

He threw his arms up in victory, basking in the adoration of the crowd. Your heart raced as Rafe's eyes locked onto yours in the midst of the roaring crowd. His grin widened, that familiar spark of mischief in his gaze, and he pointed directly at you. It felt like the world slowed for just a moment—just you and him, amidst the chaos.

The cameras snapped furiously, capturing the fleeting connection between you both, and a wave of pride surged through you. Without thinking, you blew him a kiss, your smile so wide it felt like your cheeks might burst from the effort. His response was immediate. With a joyful laugh and a skip in his step, Rafe jumped down from his car, making his way toward you as if nothing else in the world mattered.

As he reached you, he pulled you into a tight embrace, lifting you off your feet for a moment, as the crowd's cheers grew louder around you. The cameras followed you both closely, documenting the raw, unfiltered joy of the moment. "You did it, baby!" you exclaimed, your voice muffled slightly by the noise around you, but the sentiment was clear.

Rafe held you close, his arms strong around your back, his helmet still on, the sweaty material of his racing suit rubbing against your skin. He laughed, a deep, satisfied sound that resonated with the energy of the victory. "Couldn’t have done it without you," he murmured, his voice low but filled with emotion. Then, with a playful grin, he lifted his visor, revealing the intensity of his eyes beneath.

You leaned up and placed a quick, soft kiss on his helmet, the action gentle and affectionate. The cameras caught the moment, and you could hear the claps and whistles of Rafe's teammates in the background. You pulled away, giggling shyly, feeling the heat rush to your face as the attention turned to you.

Rafe chuckled and pulled you close again, wrapping his arms around your waist as his team started to gather around, congratulating him, giving high-fives, and sharing the celebratory moment with the driver of the day. But even as they swarmed him, Rafe never let go of you, his hand resting possessively on your back as he basked in his well-earned victory.

[summer-lovin-09]

I have a strong feeling that shit is about to go down in this fandom.

Let’s look at all recent events side-by-side rq:

• Louis changing his bio on IG to “Head of Film” and deleting it right before Z*ra’s presence in in Costa Rica was confirmed.

• The “Yawncaster” Pleasing post.

• “Techno is my Boyfriend” hat

• H being papped/accosted by fans at an alarming rate (paired with all the gf allegations)

• Everything we know about LT3 is already being weirdly connected to Harry (this isn’t surprising in itself. It just feels like it’s happening at much quicker rate this time around)

I have a very eerie feeling, and it’s been a while since I’ve had one of these. This is either going to be really good or really bad. It’s undeniable that the whole Mcdomlinson shit is fake. That’s not what’s getting me. This fandom is already well-equipped to handle pr moves. This stunt just feels especially sinister to me and idk why.

Seems like we’re getting a bunch of subtle SOS messages from H & L. Especially Harry’s recent “We’ll be alright” message. It’s setting alarm bells off in my head. I may just be getting jumpy. I’m just speculating at this point, but I felt the need to share.

These boys do NOT deserve to be put through anything else. :(

Really putting my faith in the future rn. This is not the time for us to leave and give up, though. That’s what the media and management want. I know a lot of people are exhausted, but we have to stay strong. Think about how exhausted they must be…

[randomidiocyncrazies]

To Be Hero X Timeline

a rough timeline in an attempt to keep track of when things happen, since we have confirmation that the story isn't told chronologically.

Things will be updated as episodes air! and feel free to lmk if i got something wrong

UPDATE PROGRESS: ep 12

5 Years Before Commission

Notion of "people's Trust Values can forge heroes" came into public consciousness; an era of rapid advancement in sciences (AI, material science, energy conversion and biotech) and heroic activity begins [meta: setting notes 1, 5, 7]

Before Commission

The Dawnfall Fall of Dawn Incident (曙光隕落事件) dealt a devastating blow to society; E-soul fought Zero and won, bringing the tragedy to an end [ep 5 performance contract, setting note 5]

((ngl I think Dawnfall sounds cooler… but i did say i'll update it to the official name once we get it, so Fall of Dawn it is!))

Formation of the Hero Association Committee to prevent a repeat of the Fall of Dawn Incident [meta: setting note 5]

Year 1 After Commission [聯合元年]

Ghostblade born 0828 [meta/source 2]

Year 8

Holoscreen technology (全息屏技術) developed by research lab using AI and material science and incorporated into social landscape after huge success with hero ads [meta: setting note 7]

A female hero became X for the first time, and will be the last for a long while; no other solo female heroes will become X until Bowa in Year 32 [ep 11]

Year 13

Little Johnny born 0808 [meta]

Year 14

Queen born 1018 [meta]

Yang Cheng born 1111 [meta]

Year 16

Nice born 0711 [meta]

Year 18

Dragon Boy born 0214 [meta]

Year 20

Lucky Cyan born 0324 [meta]

Ling Ling born 0522 [meta]

Yang Cheng's (6) parents killed, saved by E-soul [ep 5]

Year 23

Luo Li born 1201 [meta]

Airplane crash with Cyan (3) as the only survivor; crash suspected to be a coverup/clash between heroes [ep 8], and there is suggestion of sabotage according to the chatter on the plane [ep 10]

Liu Zhen gave the audio recording of the plane's interior (which reveals that Cyan survived because of the other passengers' hope/faith for her to survive) to the Dean for safekeeping [ep 10]

Year 26

Queen (12) attends entrance exam of HAC University and gets a perfect score, vows to finish her degree in 2 years [ep 11]

Mr. Matchstick (乾柴) ＆ Ms. Blazing Fire (烈火) won the Hero Tournament as a couple and gain title of X [timeline pieced together from ep 8 and 11]

Year 28

Ahu born 0504 [meta]

Cyan's (8) orphanage becomes a cult with her as the Sacred Maiden [ep 8]

Mr. Matchstick ＆ Ms. Blazing Fire caught in a cheating scandal, which raises tension and interest in gender issues [ep 8, 11]

Specifically, Mr. Matchstick is caught cheating on his partner [Ken's pad in ep 11]. I do wonder why Blazing Fire didn't try to become a solo hero tho

Queen (14) graduates university, declares her intent to become X and replace the Trust Value system, signing with DOS and aims to rank in Top 10 by 18 year old [ep 8, 11]

Her words spark popularity in female heroes and brought on a more feminist cultural attitude (even though she herself did not talk about gender issues; the framing of "girl power!" is from the media)

Baby Luo Li (5) potentially spotted, watching Queen's speech on TV [ep 11]

DOS had dipped under as one of the biggest hero agencies due to conflict with MG, but regains standing after shifting its niche and supporting more female heroes, such as Queen and Bowa [ep 11]

Bowa, the "perfect combination of strength and beauty" and top ranked female hero in DOS, is speculated to break into Top 10 soon [ep 11]

Big and Little Johnny (15) seen in Heroes Tower [ep 11]

"Walking Disaster/Calamity" Luo moves into Cyan's orphanage [ep 8]

Year 30 (?)

Smile won the 15th(?) Hero Tournament and gains title of X

Year 32 (?)

16th Hero Tournament: Bowa defeats Smile, the previous X, and becomes the first solo female hero to take the title of X since Year 8 [ep 11]

People corrupted by Fear shown to attack people [ep 11]

Queen (18) makes it into Top 10 [ep 11]

The Johnnies (Little Johnny: 19) at Rank 15 [ep 11]

Year 33

Yang Cheng (19) starts performing as E-soul in local shows as a part-time job [ep 6 YC's resume]

Year 34

Cyan (14) enters her rebellious phase and turns the church service into a concert; she and Luo try to run away but are thwarted by the orphanage head, who used to be a hero [ep 8]

Cyan escapes and starts busking on the streets, eventually earning fame and attracting her old followers [ep 9]

With the rise of FOMO and changing marketing practices, Mr. Shang left MG to form Treeman [ep 3, 11]

Rock left FOMO and jumped ship to MG, claiming he will make a new legend [ep 11]

MG hero Dragon Boy (16) courts scandal with his extreme actions [ep 11]

Fireman who will become Firm Man rescues the young Wolf Girl [ep 3]

Treeman (Mr. Shang) signs with Firm Man [ep 3]

Year 35

Cyan (15) signs with DOS (Manager Ken) [ep 9, JP website]

Year 36

Lucky Cyan active as a singer whose popularity soared recently [ep 5]

Firm Man's statue unveiled + award ceremony with the little girl who later becomes Wolf Girl [ep 3]*

((The JP website puts the Firm Man statue ceremony after the E-soul arc, but I think we can see the statue present at Heroes' Avenue when Yang Cheng was proven innocent of orchestrating the kidnapping [ep 6]? Which wouldn't make sense if his arc happens before the statue ceremony...))

Yang Cheng (22) rescues Pomelo, gaining Shang Chao and Xia Qing's support and operates as New E-soul [ep 5]; SC confirmed to be the son of Treeman's Mr. Shang [ep 7]

Yang Cheng accused of fraud/setting up the kidnapping, around 1 month before E-soul's 34 Anniversary [ep 6]

Enlighter tasked by Shang Chao/his dad to clear Yang Cheng's name; Yang Cheng declared innocent [ep 6]

Luo hears about rising star Cyan on the radio, and the Dean tells him Cyan was the only survivor in the crash that killed his parents [ep 9, 10]

18th Hero Tournament: Queen (22) instantly defeated by a "darkhorse nobody" who barely squeezed into Top 10 to qualify (who we know as X) [ep 10, 11]

"darkhorse" wins the 18th Tournament, officially gains the title of X [ep 11]

Controversy of Cyan's luck powers creates Fear and possesses the orphanage/people buying into the discourse [ep 10]

Cyan goes to the orphanage to retrieve the audio file of the crashed plane and fights through crowds infected by Fear, defeating the Dean; Cyan and Luo fight, but they hear the contents of the record and become friends again [ep 10]

Shang Chao killed by assailant while wearing Yang Cheng's E-soul helmet at their HQ [ep 6]

Death of the two henchmen by Rock (Mr. Yan), CEO of Mighty Glory [ep 7]

YC challenges OG E-soul to a duel on his 34 Anniversary celebration; at this point OG E-soul 's rank had been below Top 10 for an unknown amount of time [ep 7]

E-soul's 34 Anniversary: Battle of the 2 E-souls ends with one of them dead; Lucky Cyan's concert [ep 7]

((assuming the concert in ep 7 was not the same concert as the one in ep 9, because the timeline gets a bit weird if it's the same one))

E-soul breaks through to Top 10 after the conclusion of the E-soul battle [ep 7]

Year 37

Cyan takes Rank 7 after her history as the only survivor of the plane crash due to the other victim's hope for her to survive was publicized [ep 10, JP website]

Fear officially recognized as the opposite of Trust by the Commission [ep 10]

Year 38

Moon under contractual obligation to play Nice's PR girlfriend ("it's been 3 years!") [ep 2, JP website]

Queen's comeback to the hero scene after her loss in the previous Hero Tournament, qualifying for the 19th Hero Tournament [ep 12]

19th Hero Tournament: Bowa ambushes Queen the day before the Tournament under the delusion that she could get her standing back if she kills Queen. Queen defeats Bowa, but misses the Tournament due to her injuries [ep 12]

X attains title of "X" [ep 12]

Year 39

Queen in rehab for the injuries sustained from the fight with Bowa before the 19th Hero Tournament [ep 12]

Mikey sends Queen and Cyan to a vacation/retreat [ep 12]

Big Johnny goes berserk [ep 12]

Year 41

Death of Nice (25); L0 (21) forced to be Nice's imposter by Miss J, had death faked for him [ep 1]

Faked death of Moon; Spotlight Org contacts Enlighter and turns him into God Eye [ep 2]

L0!Nice replaces Firm Man in Top 10 [ep 3]

L0 sheds Nice's identity and becomes The Commoner; God Eye apprehended [ep 4]

Death of Moon, 15 days away from the 21st Hero Tournament for the title of X [ep 4]

Unaccounted/Misc

E-soul is the first X; since Dawnfall happened before the Committee but he only had a 34-year anniversary in Year 36, he possibly retired for a short time before resuming hero work [ep 5]

X has held the title for 2 consecutive terms—the Hero Tournament happens every 2 years, so X's reign as the #1 hero is at least 4 years long (he's a newcomer who defeated Queen at the tournament in Year 36, implying that's when he becomes X) [meta: PV]

Zac, owner of FOMO, created the social media platform as a university student [meta: setting note 7]

Death/defeat of Magic Shadow (some time between Year 34 and 36 [ep 3] before Yang Cheng's story [ep 6])

the Hero Smile Incident (seems to be fairly recent before Nice's death, so tentatively in Year 41) [ep 1, 2]

Spotlight Org is known as a terrorist organization by Year 41 [ep 1]

Aether Labs existed in Year 23 [ep 8]

[baocean]

the manchester’s

spy!rafe cameron x spy!reader

your partner rafe cameron and you were on a mission for one reason, and one reason only. to take out the target. on this mission, your aliases were husband and wife, playing house for the whole night. who knew that could bring out so many truths?

warnings - violence, smoking, drinking, smut, swearing, murder ermmm

the apartment you’d been staked out in was muggy, dark, and gross.

you’d been sitting there for almost the entire day, just waiting.

you’d set up a long range camera, taking over a poor college student’s apartment, posted across the street at the hotel your target was supposed to be staying in that night.

your target was markus phelps, some middle aged man apart of a terrorist group that assassinated a foreign leader almost a year ago. he had been untraceable until agent williams found him five months ago. it was only supposed to be a capture mission. then, phelps killed her too. now, you were here for blood. you, and your partner rafe cameron. two of the best agents the CIA has to offer.

it was only speculation that phelps was attending this gala, ball type event at this hotel tonight. but, the CIA got wind of it, and you didn’t have anything going on tonight, anyway.

“anything?” rafe asked, twiddling a pen in his hand, sitting in a chair in the corner of the small apartment.

“not yet, there’s security posted out front, though. i think he’s close,” you responded, slouching back, “take over for me, please? my back is killing me.”

rafe rolled his eyes, he smiled and nodded anyway. when he stood up, you had to crane your neck to stare at him. he was almost a foot taller than you, but you used being only five or so inches over five foot to your advantage. no one expects a girl who fits right into the crowd to shoot them in the back of the head.

rafe switched places with you, getting comfy in a sniper position. he’d been an army ranger sniper for almost six years, it was probably a second nature to get his body as low as possible.

you slumped back in his old seat, letting your body relax into its cheap material.

“oh, you’re just gonna love this.” rafe started chuckling, and your content smile dropped.

“are you fucking serious?” you asked, huddling over to the window as you watched markus phelps cockily strut into the hotel lobby.

“let boss man know, and tell him i saw him.” rafe looked up at you, giving an infamous smirk, then started to pack up the gear.

you rolled your eyes, not even three years of working side by side dulled how smug rafe was. pulling out your phone, you dialed your boss’ number, the dial only ringing once.

“blake, he’s here.” you spoke into the phone, catching sight of rafe’s head tipping to the side. you made a face at him. “cameron spotted him.”

“good, you know what to do. get it done, agent.” griffin blake’s voice was gruff, powerful, steady. “you two have got a reservation under manchester.” that was all, then, he hung up on you.

“alright, let’s do this.” you shoved your phone back into your pocket, shrugging your shoulders with a smile. rafe grabbed the hard cases full of fancy cameras and guns, then his personal duffle carrying everything else, and headed to the door.

he’d always been sweet like that, only letting you carry your black duffle bag filled with whatever precautious outfits you needed for that mission, never the heavy stuff.

you two walked across the street and into the fancy hotel, glass chandeliers and butlers waiting to open the doors for you. walking up to reception, rafe threw an arm around you.

“hi there, we have a reservation for manchester.” rafe offered the employee behind the desk, offering her a warm, fake smile.

you gave her one as well, reaching your hand up to fumble with rafe’s, the one hanging off your shoulder.

“welcome to the plaza, mr. and mrs. manchester. we’re excited to have you.”

she handed you key cards, offered valet, then sent you on your way with an award winning smile.

“she was cute.” rafe mumbled in your ear, earning a elbow to the gut.

“that’s not very husband like.” you chuckled, swinging with him as you headed to the elevators.

“speaking of, we need rings.” rafe held his hand up, waving his fingers.

“make sure mine is pretty.” you said, watched as the elevator doors closed, then detached from him.

“pretty ring for a pretty lady, got it.” rafe pulled out his phone, typing a few times.

“laney says it’s all in the room. dress, suit, everything.” he said as the doors of the elevator opened.

it was true, when you walked into the hotel room, you saw the beautiful red dress and black suit hanging on the door frame of the closet. necklaces, earrings, and wedding bands were sitting on the dresser.

“two hours ‘till the party. you wanna shower first?” rafe dropped his cases on the bed, turning to you. you were already closing the bathroom door, making rafe chuckle.

twenty minutes later, you were out of the shower and in the complimentary hotel robe, staring at yourself in the mirror as you blow dried your hair.

rafe’s head peaked out from behind the shower curtain and you saw the shampoo you used earlier in his hair, made you laugh.

“so how do we wanna do this?” he asked. you shrugged. “we could pull the ‘my husband doesn’t have to know��� card. and i’m sitting here waiting for him when you get back here.”

you turned to him, groaning. “why does it always have to be me?”

“i know i’m gorgeous, honey, but i don’t think phelps swings that way.” rafe grinned at you, you tilted your head in annoyance.

“fine.” was all you said, turning around and putting down the hair dryer, then plugging in the curling iron.

“hey, throw me a towel, wife?” rafe called from behind the shower curtain as the water turned off, and you pushed your hand behind the curtain, him grabbing the white towel from you.

he stepped out of the bath, towel hung low around his waist. “should i shave?” he leaned over the counter, hands running over his jaw.

he truly was gorgeous, in every way. it wasn’t something you were denying. there’d been several times where you’d think ‘one time won’t hurt anyone’, but you couldn’t possibly risk it, right?

“no, like you better that way.” you clipped your hair up, started curling your hair. rafe looked at you through the mirror, shamelessly admiring you.

he left you in the bathroom, taking time through his routine, then pulling on his suit

you’d taken almost an hour to get ready, perfectly crafting your makeup, then forcing rafe to zip your dress.

“okay, so i’m noah. you’re scarlett.” rafe looked over the packet as you strapped the beretta nato micro to your upper thigh.

“scarlett? seriously?” you laughed, pulling your dress back down into position. it was a dark red color, perfectly suiting your skin tone.

“feels like they’re running out of ideas. remember when i was james ford? that was the best one, yet.” rafe grinned, grabbing his glock and pushing it into his holster.

you nodded, laughing, fixing last minute touches before grabbing the ring on the dresser and slipping it on. rafe’s eyes watched the motion, leaning to grab his ring as well.

“we’re so domestic. the manchester’s, ladies and gentlemen.” rafe laughed, throwing an arm around you as you walked out of your hotel room.

the lobby was filled with people in fancy get ups and holding champagne flutes. the two of you followed them to the ball room, the sound of jazz music slowly rising.

it was easy to spot phelps, the guy was dressed in a bright orange blazer. you rolled your eyes.

“look at that idiot. can’t wait to kill him.” rafe leaned in, mumbling in your ear before placing a quick kiss on your cheek.

you giggled, the two of you separating to mingle with the other guests, rafe leaving you with a, “see you later, mrs. manchester.”

it was too easy, because you caught phelps attention almost immediately. you kept finding him staring at you, looking at you up and down.

it’d been an hour of talking to the wives of powerful men, sharing secret glances with rafe, checking in on each other, and watching phelps practically eye fuck you.

you were mid conversation with two women, listening along to their inappropriate jokes about the hot man with no woman on his arm.

“who are you talking about?” you inquired, searching around the room for who they could possibly be reviewing.

“him.” one girl pointed a perfectly manicured finger over your right shoulder, and you turned to see rafe. you groaned, of course.

he was walking right for you, smiling at you like you were the light of his life.

“hi ladies, noah manchester. don’t mind if i steal my beautiful wife away from you for a moment, do ya?” rafe tucked an arm on your waist, leaving the women you were standing with absolutely speechless.

“bye, girls.” you smiled politely, turning away with rafe.

you walked out of the ballroom, sharing one single glance with phelps. tucking into an empty coat closet, rafe slotted you between the wall and him.

“we are so in. have you seen the way he’s looking at you?” rafe shaking his head, laughing.

“i know, unbelievable.” you laughed, tucking your hair behind your ear. rafe’s eyes shot up to watch.

“try to bring him up to the room within the hour,” he looked down at his watch, “i’ll go up right now, give me like ten minutes, then go talk to him. i’ll be waiting there.”

you nodded, going to say something when the coat closet’s door knob started to jiggle.

“shit, uh,” rafe trailed off, pulling you in by your neck and kissing you. you didn’t have time to process it before the door opened and you were being yelled at.

rafe pulled away from you, some of your lipstick stuck onto his lips. he looked at the guy yelling at you two, smirking. “what, i can’t kiss my wife?”

“get out of here, you two.” the guy barked, rafe turning back to you and giving you another chaste kiss before stepping past the guy, pulling you out with him.

he nodded at you once, then headed towards the elevators.

you stood there shocked for a few beats, before shaking it off. you went back into the ballroom, smiling at some people.

you sat down at the bar, ordering a drink and patiently waiting.

it was only five or so minutes when phelps slotted in next to you, reaking of smelly cologne and cigarettes.

“hi, gorgeous.” he spoke, all grainy and brittle. you turned to him, giving him a smile.

“hi.”

“i’m markus phelps.” he stuck a hand out to shake yours.

“scarlett, nice to meet you.” you fluttered your eyelids, worked your charm. phelps looked down, clocking your ring when you met his hand.

“ah, you’re married.” phelps nodded his head, testing you.

“we’re getting a divorce.” you shrugged. phelps seemed to like that answer, because he leaned in closer.

fifteen minutes later, you were letting phelps feel you up in the elevator, waist up of course, given you had a gun strapped to your thigh.

you led him to your room, hand in hand, heart beating out of your chest in excitement. the CIA has been waiting for this moment for five months, and tonight was the night.

you unlocked the door, pushing phelps into the dark room with an excessive amount of force.

kissing him, you pulled him to the bed, letting him from you and fall back onto it.

“hey markus,” rafe turned on the lamp, sitting on the chair in the corner of the room, a glock 43 shifting around in his right hand, “how’re you doing?”

“oh, what the fuck is this?” phelps shot up as you backed away from him, leaning on the dresser.

“what do you think it is, dumbass?” you scrunched your face.

“let me tell you, phelps. you made it pretty fucking easy for us.” rafe chuckled, standing up to come and stand next to you. “trust me man, i know she’s stunning, but didn’t your mother teach you anything about strangers?”

phelps looked scared shitless, giving you a satisfactory tingle in your chest.

you turned to rafe, “pretty smart move kissing me earlier, by the way.”

“thanks, been wanting to do that forever.” he smirked, never looking away from phelps.

“who are you? who are you with?” phelps shook, not daring to stand up from the bed.

you contemplated, shrugging your shoulders. “i guess we could tell him, he’s not leaving this hotel room unless it’s in a body bag.”

“CIA. you remember that agent you killed five months ago?” rafe asked, staring down at his gun as he raised it.

phelps couldn’t speak, a guilty, evil look painting his greasy features.

“this is for her.” rafe pulled the trigger, the silencer making a ‘pop’ sound ring through the hotel room.

rafe sighed, watching phelp’s body go limp on the hotel bed.

“call the boss man.” he shrugged, looking at you before releasing the magazine from the gun and into his hand, turning away from you.

only two or three hours later, rafe and you were in the private jet sending you back to headquarters in virginia.

he was staring out the window, hand holding his chin up. after the first odd year or so, you realized rafe always needed some time to think after he killed someone.

he’d been silent for almost half an hour before you spoke.

“did you really mean what you said back there? that you’ve wanted to kiss me forever?” you asked him, he turned to you, sighing.

“yeah.” he shrugged, his lips tipping up into something almost a smile.

you hummed, not exactly sure what to say. if it had been a target, you would know. but these were real feelings, and your partner you were dealing with.

“i can’t tell what you’re thinking. incredible poker face, by the way.” rafe chucked awkwardly.

“well, seven years of socom will do that to you.” you tipped your head in a smile.

straight out of high school, just like rafe, you joined the military. only difference was, you went to special operations command and rafe went to sniper school.

after seven years, you were done, but socom had trained you well.

“right. always forget you’re an operator.” rafe nodded, looking at the floor between you two.

“i’m thinking that this would be a little too complicated to kiss for real.” you sighed, leaning your head back and closing your eyes.

“one time wouldn’t hurt anyone.” rafe shrugged, looking out the window, then peaking a glance at you to size your reaction.

your eyes popped open, shocked in what he had just said. then, you started laughing. “i always say that.”

“about us?” rafe smirked, leaning back. you nodded, rolling your eyes and smiling.

the two of you stared at each other, both of you daring the other that would lead to a conversation about you two.

“i’ll be right back.” you mumbled, standing up and heading to the back of the plane. you locked yourself in the bathroom, playing with your hair.

making yourself busy, all so you could catch your breath, you washed your hands, checked your clothes.

when you opened the door, rafe was standing there, leaning on the wall.

you just looked at each other for a second, watching as his eyes flickered down to your lips, then back up to your eyes, then back down to your lips.

“one time won’t hurt?” rafe muttered. your breath hitched, rafe noticing the action.

“one time won’t hurt.” you said barely above a whisper, pulling him by his t-shirt into the small bathroom.

your lips connected, and you were finally able to enjoy the kiss, memorize it. the way his lips moved against yours, his hands lying gently on your hips. you wanted to remember everything.

he pushed you up against the wall of the bathroom, grabbing your jaw to pepper kisses down your neck.

wasting no time at all, he’d removed clothing and tossed it to the side.

rafe wasn’t hiding the fact that he was mesmerized. sure, he’d seen you in swimsuits, your body turned away while you hastily changed into a different cover outfit, he’d seen pieces of your naked skin plenty of times.

but this was different, this was completely, truly all for him.

you smiled up at him, grabbing his face to pull him in for another kiss.

he dropped to his knees, grabbing your leg and pushing it up to spread you apart.

his breath fanned against you, giving you goosebumps in return.

“god, i hope we get to play mr. and mrs. manchester again soon.” rafe chuckled, kissing the inner parts of your thigh.

you laughed, your heading falling back. “why?”

“mmm, just brings something inside me out.” rafe mumbled, placing a kiss on your clit that had you gasping.

he pushed a finger into you, watching your reaction. he smiled when your eyes fell closed and your mouth opened.

he pumped his finger, adding a second one only moments later.

you’d thought this was the best it could get, with a man literally on his knees in front of you, giving you the best feeling ever.

then, rafe’s mouth connected with your clit, and a sound fell from your lips so suddenly you were unsure of who it actually came from.

rafe couldn’t get enough, he’d been waiting for this for three years, not sure if he had just fallen asleep in his chair back in the cabin. either way, he was going to make this the best he possibly could.

he popped up from his knees, earning a comment and a whine from you, before he lined himself up with your entrance.

he pushed into you, both of you groaning at the feeling of it.

rafe didn’t let you adjust before he was pulling out and slamming back into you, panting with each thrust.

“shit, baby, you feel so good.” rafe mumbled, barely above a whisper.

he was grabbing at you everywhere, running his hands over your cheek and hair, pinching at your tits, gripping your hips to keep you in place.

his hand fell down to your thigh, pushing it up farther towards your chest, making you cry out.

his hand flew to your mouth, the size of his hand taking up nearly half of his face.

“i’m flattered, honey, but can’t have the pilot hearing us now, right?” rafe smirked, taking away his hand replace it with a kiss.

“but the thrill of getting caught is so fun.” you drawled out, dipping your head to bite and kiss at his neck.

“jesus, woman.” rafe sighed happily, twitched inside of you.

his pace quickened, making you go silent with bliss, his bottom lip tucking between his teeth.

his hand fell back down to your clit, making you fall over the edge.

your orgasm hit you, hard. you were pretty sure you were seeing stars, head falling back as your mouth opened.

rafe took the opportunity to stick two fingers in your mouth, your lips wrapping around them to muffle your moans.

he continued his ruthless pace, his head going fuzzy with the feeling of you clenching around him and your warm mouth around his fingers.

you reached up to grab rafe’s wrist, his eyes catching on the shiny diamond on your ring finger.

his breath hitched, plenty of impossible and unrealistic thoughts blazing in his mind.

the simple thought of you being his, your name followed by ‘cameron’, coming home from missions to a shared home and maybe a cute dog, too.

his eyes screwed shut, thrusts getting sloppy as his head fell into your shoulder, finishing inside you.

once he slowed to a stop, his hands left you and landed on the sink your back was leaning on.

“holy shit.” you mumbled, laughing.

“yeah, i know.” rafe laughed along with you, his head still hung low.

you put your hands on his shoulder, catching your breath in the process.

rafe looked up at you, a genuine look in his eye as he pushed some of your hair stuck to your face out of the way.

“same time, next mission?” a cocky smile painting his features, his hand settling on your cheek.

“i thought we agreed on one time?” you tilted your head, tongue poking out to lick your lips.

“i don’t think i could live with only one time after that.” rafe chuckled, leaning in for another kiss.

a/n - i’ll keep it so for real with you men in black inspired me to make this fic, then i realized this is so mr. and mrs. smith, so thank you for the inspo simon kinberg! ☺️